The present invention broadly relates to hot and cold water mixing devices and, more specifically, pertains to a new and improved construction of an electrically controlled fixture, typically a plumbing fixture, for hot and cold water.
Generally speaking, the electrically controlled fixture, sometimes also referred to in the art as a fitting, for hot and cold water as contemplated by the present development is of the type comprising a source of potential or voltage which comprises a Peltier arrangement. One side of this Peltier arrangement is thermally coupled with the hot water and the other side thereof is thermally coupled with the cold water.
Such general type of fixture is known to the art from the European Published patent application No. 0,158,930, published Oct. 23, 1985. This prior art fixture comprises two partial chambers or spaces for hot and cold water, which are arranged in a common housing. At a common partition or separation wall of the partial chambers or spaces there is arranged a Peltier arrangement serving as a power source for the control of the fixture. When the fixture is not in use the hot water cools to ambient temperature and the Peltier arrangement therefore cannot deliver any power for the renewed opening of the valves. To overcome this problem there has been proposed, among other things, upon re-commencing operation of the fixture to initially allow water to flow unhindered therethrough until there has again been attained a sufficiently high temperature and the Peltier arrangement can supply power for the actuation of the valves. Such fixtures may be suitable for use in installations with closed water circuits, such as for instance, hot water heating installations. However, in the case of plumbing fixtures, such as, for instance, used for water dispensers or hot and cold water mixing devices or valves, the heretofore known fixture would apparently need to have a manually-operated tap or the like upstream or downstream thereof in order to positively ensure for the proper renewed operation for the fixture.